South Korean man who murdered neighbour over blocked sunlight dispute gets 23 years in jail
- The defendant attacked the victim with a weapon in a fit of rage after the elderly man’s peach tree blocked the sunlight from reaching his solar panels
- The Supreme Court also ordered him to wear an electronic tracking device for 10 years
The Supreme Court upheld the sentence, which also mandated that the man wear an electronic tracking device for 10 years.
The conflict began years ago in Cheorwon county, Gangwon province, when the victim planted a peach tree that later grew and blocked the sunlight from reaching the solar panels of the defendant, identified only as Mr. A.
On the day of the incident in April last year, an argument over the tree led Mr. A to attack his 70-year-old neighbour with a weapon, also injuring the victim’s wife who tried to intervene.
Mr. A was also charged with drink-driving. After committing the murder, he drove his car a distance of about 2.7km (1.6 mile) while intoxicated, later exiting his vehicle and repeatedly shouting, “I have killed a person,” until a passer-by called the police.